To think schools shouldn't teach religion as absolute fact?

[PoesyCherish]

DSD is 6 and is learning about Christianity in school. They're teaching her Jesus is the Son of God rather than "some people believe he is". Everything about the religion is taught as fact. They've also failed to mention anything about any other religion.

AIBU to think they shouldn't be teaching it as absolute fact? How are children supposed to be understanding and tolerant of other people's beliefs if they're taught one world view as fact?

[Lazypuppy]

@PoesyCherish you want her to make an informed choice at 6 years old?

[SarahDoY]

I removed my child from a Catholic school when they came home and told me they had been instructed by staff to do everything the priest said.

I believe Jesus is the son of God and you should follow the new testament. Priests offer guidance and not all priests are perfect, we know like men in many organisations some use the position to take advantage of people.

[MaMaMaMySharona]

I went to a Catholic school (although not Catholic or from a religious upbringing) simply because it had the best results in our area and my parents wanted me to do well in my education.

I'd say the experience for me was pretty negative - although I was at senior school age by this point so had already made up my own mind about religion, it was very forceful and a lot of time was taken out of teaching to pray.

Sex education was very poor, as a class of all females we were taught that sex was only for married, same-sex couples and that protection was frowned upon. Yes, I get that's the Catholic belief but you should not be teaching girls that by any stretch of the imagination!

We were also taught religion as fact. I was quite an annoying teenager and constantly questioned everything our teacher told us, considering half an hour later we were off learning about science which negated almost everything we had been taught. Confusing time! Would absolutely never send my children to faith schools. They're completely unnecessary in this day and age.

[PoesyCherish]

@SarahDoY - what are trans religious lessons?

[Fresta]

Well maybe her Mother and father wanted her to be brought up as a Catholic?

[SarahDoY]

Trans religion teaches children to lie in my opinion, so is against my religious beliefs and ethics. Whole other thread.

[PoesyCherish]

@Lazypuppy I'm not against religion. I'm against religion being taught to children as if fact when there is no empirical proof. Most religious people back in the real world know it is about faith rather than proof. And no I don't want her to make an informed choice at 6. I want her to be able to make an informed choice as she grows older by being given a broad education.

That's nuts @SarahDoY. Can't believe they taught them that.

[ShawshanksRedemption]

Are people missing the point where she's my step daughter? I wasn't the one that chose to put her in a faith school but I completely understand and respect why her parents made that call.

Then you have to continue that respect as they want her in that school and chose it, alongside it's catholic teaching, which I'm hopeful they were aware of when they chose it.

[Pengggwn]

Right - so her parents chose a faith school. I assume to get her into that faith school they went to church, spoke to the priest, said they were Catholic, and knew, the whole time, that she would be taught that the beliefs of the Catholic faith are the truth?

[PoesyCherish]

@Fresta neither her Mum or Dad are Catholic. As said upthread they sent her to that school as the state school merged and was then miles away. So as well as being miles away with one parent not driving, DSD Also doesn't do well in huge groups. So their only other option was the small local Catholic school. Nothing to do with religion and everything to do with locality and size.

[KirstyJC]

Ir annoys me too since there is no option but to send the kids to one of the local schools, all of which seem to teach Christianity as truth not belief. Whenever they asked us we just said 'some people believe x/y/z' and left it at that. They all 3 decided it was just a story pretty quickly. Our eldest toyed with being Buddhist for a while and then decided it was too much work.

It does frustrate me that we are supposed to learn about other ideals and be tolerant and yet we are teaching our kids to believe a particular faith is fact. It kind of puts other faiths/beliefs at a disadvantage.

[PoesyCherish]

@Pengggwn no the school was massively undersubscribed so no church attendance/ speaking to the priests/ any form of religion required.

[SarahDoY]

OP for the sake of a peaceful life, I would leave the religious instruction to the parents and Godparents.

Encouraging critical though in your step child may serve you better.

[ParkheadParadise]

I've never understood why a child would attend a RC school, if they are not a practicing Catholic.

[Lazypuppy]

@PoesyCherish i think you are expecting too much for 6 years old. As a previous poster said, maybe they are teaching it as belief but you DSD is not relaying it like that to you.

If they are teaching it as fact, that's probably cause its a catholic school. Just because someone tells her something at this age is true doesn't mean she'll believe it forever.

When she gets to year 5/6 and secondary school she'll learn about loads of other religions and she's not going to just not believe them cause a teacher whrn she was 6 years old said jesus is the son of god.

Just have the conversations at home that christianity is a belief not fact. It's not up to teachers to teach everything.

Personally i feel you are stressing over a non-problem

[Lazypuppy]

@PoesyCherish oh and your posts read as very anti religion

[Pengggwn]

PoesyCherish

An undersubscribed Catholic school? Okay

Anyway, it's irrelevant. You are not the parent, and the parents can move her to a different school if they don't like what this one teaches. It's not like it wasn't obvious when they took the place.

[RomanyRoots]

YABU the curriculum specifies that other religions are taught as well.
maybe your child hasn't covered these yet.
faith Schools teach the faith they belong to it isn't rocket science.
mine also learned about christianity at school, it keeps them in line sometimes, it's great.
Come secondary school they won't believe unless they particularly choose that path.

[PoesyCherish]

@SarahDoY she doesn't have God parents. She's not christened nor does she attend church. I have never so much as even suggested to her she should have critical thought surrounding the issue. Whenever she's mentioned Jesus died on the cross or some other religious comment to me I normally just say something along the lines of, oh that's interesting and leave it at that.

@ParkheadParadise I guess when the only other option is to send your child to a busy school miles away which you know is likely to cause your child anxiety, it seems like a better option.

[PoesyCherish]

@Lazypuppy sorry what am I expecting of her? It's hardly anti religion to think it shouldn't be taught as fact. And not that it's relevant but I'm a confirmed Christian so hardly anti religion.

@RomanyRoots I've got no problem them teaching their religion but don't think it should be taught as fact. mine also learned about christianity at school, it keeps them in line sometimes, it's great wow instil in them the fear of God. Great...

[jenthelibrarian]

You have the right to withdraw your child from RE lessons, even in a 'faith' school.
They must make proper provision for the child's supervision and so on.
I did this with my son at secondary school and he used to time to do his homework.
It's a slightly tricky issue where religion is shoe-horned into other lessons, which is probably the case in a Catholic school [?]
"Faith schools can choose what they teach in RE, so do not have to follow the same syllabus as non-faith schools. As maintained schools, however, parents still have the legal right to withdraw their child from these classes."

[PoesyCherish]

Oh sorry @SarahDoY i thought you were saying I shouldn't encourage critical thought but reading it back it sounds like you were saying I should. Apologies.

Re the curriculum, I thought it was different in religious schools or do they still have to eventually teach all religions?

[SoftSheen]

YABU, she's at a Catholic school! What else would you expect?

[Mousefunky]

In a religious school this has to be expected. I purposely send my DC to a secular school to hopefully avoid it but sadly, not the case. They have returned home brandishing JESUS LOVES YOU drawings and told me all about Jesus and who he was . I’m a life long Atheist so I’ve always had to correct them and inform them that some people believe that but it’s not necessarily a fact (and most likely isn’t ). But sending your DC to a religious school, not sure what else you would expect.

[PoesyCherish]

Ahh thanks @jenthelibrarian you answered my question re what they have to teach. I thought that was the case.

I don't think it would be fair to completely withdraw her from the lessons. A girl in my secondary school did that and it really singled her out.

How do we get her to think for herself though? Eventually obviously, I know she's only 6 right now. It'd be nice if we could encourage independent thought and to teach her to be respectful of other peoples beliefs and that whatever she believes is okay.

I don't know why people think I'm anti religion. I don't attend church but that doesn't mean I don't believe in God (I do!). I just think we all have the right to our own beliefs and to be allowed to make our own choices instead of having it rammed down our throats